Sword Art Online: A World Apart
by sakuraphoenix
Summary: Following the release of the VRMMORPG, two players get caught in the crossfire of the death game they have been trapped in. Will they survive in this world, or will the world change them forever?
1. World of Swords

Chapter 1: World of Swords

_Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a brand new fanfic! I know, you're gonna ask me 'why are you adding a new story on top of the ones we're already waiting for you to update?' Well, I'd tell ya, but it's a long story, so I'll cut to the chase. I recently got hooked into this anime called Sword Art Online, and I got this insane idea for a fanfic, well, I don't know about the insane part to be honest, but still, I had an idea. I'd love to keep talking, but I'm sure I'm boring you, so I'll hit the disclaimer._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online. I also do not own Blade. He belongs to my boyfriend, Detroid434_

_Instead of the usual greeting, I'm going with tradition in Sword Art Online, Link Start!_

_I could hardly wait for the opening day of Sword Art Online! I got my NerveGear and everything set up and calibrated. All I needed to do was create an avatar on the opening day of Sword Art Online. I was about to hit the hay when I heard my cell phone going off. I picked it up and smiled as I recognized the number as my boyfriend's cell phone number._

"Hey." I said

"Hey. Did you hear about the release of the final version of Sword Art Online?" asked my boyfriend

"Yeah, I did. I already got my NerveGear and everything. I'm just waiting for opening day." I said

"That's good." My boyfriend said

"Yeah. What about you?" I asked

"I was one of the people to beta test it." My boyfriend said

"Lucky! I was so close to being a beta tester! The guy in front of me beat me too it! If only mom didn't make me go to my cousin's place that day, I could've gotten in!" I exclaimed

"Ouch, but still, it's one of the most popular games out there for MMO." My boyfriend said

"Well, I'm glad to know it was worth the wait, but still, it's a VRMMORPG. The difference between VR's and other MMO's, I actually get to see you. I hate it that we live so far away." I sighed as I lied down on my bed

"True to that, right there… well… it actually comes out tomorrow." My boyfriend said

"Still, worth the wait. You're really lucky that you were able to beta test SAO. Remember Warframe? It took me a while to get used to that system." I said (1)

_I heard my boyfriend chuckle from the other end of the line._

"Yeah… you did…well, I'll wait until tomorrow to be in the game with you." My boyfriend said

"Yeah, I can hardly wait, especially since it'll be the first time I can see you without the whole screen-to-screen thing with us video chatting. I'll see you tomorrow. I'm gonna get some sleep. Night." I said sadly

"Don't be sad, babe. You know I love you. I'll see you tomorrow. Night." My boyfriend said

_I ended the call, and lied down on my bed once again, anxiously waiting to play Sword Art Online._

_The next day…_

"It's time for this week's MMO Stream. We began with a promotional video. Was this the day of last week's launch? What were all these people waiting in line for? Sword Art Online." One of the announcers said

"The ones at the front of the line waited for three days prior to launch." The other announcer said

"Amazing!" exclaimed the first announcer

"Or is this just what any real gamer would do? On today's MMO Stream, we'll be covering the internationally famous Sword Art Online, aka, SAO!" exclaimed the second announcer

"To be honest, none of the NerveGear software released so far has really taken advantage of the hardware." Said the first announcer

"But SAO was invented by the NerveGear's inventor, Akihiko Kayaba, and it's a long-awaited VRMMORPG." Said the second announcer

"I can't wait! The beta testers all said it was incredible." Said the first announcer

"I wanted a copy… only ten thousand copies were sold in its first printing. It sold out online in seconds. And as you saw, hardcore fans bought all the store copies." Said the second announcer

_I turned off the TV as my mom knocked on the door._

"What is it?" I asked

"I'm going out for the day. I won't be back until late because I'm checking out some of the houses in the area. Some are on foreclosure, and I want to see them with Susan." My mother said

"Okay, have fun." I said

_I heard the car starting up, and she exited the driveway, and I plugged in the NerveGear before I lied down on my bed as I waited for it to warm up. When it finally did, I closed my eyes before saying:_

"Link Start!"

_I was brought to the sign-in menu, and began the task of creating a new avatar for SAO._

_Blade's P.O.V._

_I thought about the phone call I made with my girlfriend the night before as I looked at the clock. Mom would be visiting grandma for the day, meaning I had some time to myself. I warmed up my NerveGear, and lied down on my bed before waiting for it to warm up. When it did, I closed my eyes before I said:_

"Link Start!"

_I logged into Sword Art Online with my beta-test data, and my now-blond hair had a loose strand that found its way into my face._

"Hello world. I'm back!" I exclaimed to no one in particular

_I was looking around the town square when I mentally face-palmed when I realized that our avatars didn't look like our real world selves and I didn't even tell her my game name. Man, talk about a screw-up!_

"I might as well try and find her, I mean; I just hope that she chose her real name for her game name." I sighed

_I walked around town for a while before thinking maybe she's out leveling out on the fields surrounding the Town of Beginnings. Even though I did manage to level up to level 5, I still saw no sign of her. I returned to town, and shouted her real name five times, but all I succeeded in was getting weird looks._

"*sigh* I should've just asked her for her game name when I had the chance. Wait a minute… I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I think about logging out and calling her cell phone earlier?!" I exclaimed to the air

_I accessed the main menu, but I didn't see a logout button. That doesn't make sense. I tried again, and still no logout._

"Excuse me." A female voice said to me.

_I turned to see a girl who looked like she was 15 with long pink hair that reached her back, but it was styled like Katara's hair when she was in the Fire Nation._

"May I help you?" I asked

"I was wondering if you knew anything about the issue with logging out of the game." Said the girl

"No, I don't. I just saw the main menu myself." I said

"Weird, but it's the first day out of beta testing, right? I'm sure there are going to be some bugs." Said the girl

"This isn't just a bug." I said grim

"It isn't?" asked the girl

"Think about it. If a player can't log out, it would pose a serious threat to the game. Did you contact the Game Master to find out the problem?" I asked

"Of course I did, but the Game Master isn't picking up." Said the girl

"This is bad. There were no other ways of logging out in the manual. If you thought about ripping your NerveGear off your head, you can't move your body in real life. I guess we just need to wait until someone pulls the NerveGear off our heads." I said

"Knowing my life, my mom will notice when it's dinner time. It's just me and her." Said the girl

"Same with me, but sometimes my mom's boyfriend comes over at times." I said

"But don't you find this weird? I mean, compared to the games I've played before, if there was a bug, the people in charge of the server would shut it down then log everyone else out." The girl said while deep in thought

_The bell tower in the Town of Beginnings began to ring, much to everyone's confusion. The next thing I knew, we were back in the town's square. I started wandering around to find answers, until I looked at the sky, where I saw a beeping red warning sign, before the whole sky turned bright red. What looked like blood seemed to seep from between the lines that made up the sky, and formed into a huge figure with a red cloak that covered its face._

"Attention, players. Welcome to my world. My name is Akihiko Kayaba. As of this moment, I am the sole person who can control this world." Said Kayaba

"That's… Akihiko Kayaba?!" I exclaimed in shock

"I'm sure you've already noticed that the logout button is missing from the main menu. But this is not a defect in the game. I repeat… this is not a defect in the game. It is a feature of Sword Art Online. You cannot logout of SAO yourselves. And no one on the outside can shut down or remove the NerveGear. Should this be attempted, the transmitter inside the NerveGear will emit a powerful microwave, destroying your brain and thus ending your life. Unfortunately, several players' friends and families have ignored this warning, and have attempted to remove the NerveGear. As a result, 213 players are gone forever, from both Aincrad and the real world." Said Kayaba

"213?!" I exclaimed in outrage

_As soon as my anger had surfaced, sadness replaced it. I remembered how my girlfriend's mom seemed to control her life, so if she was one of the causalities… no! I can't think about that! She's alive, she has to be!_

"As you can see, news organizations across the world are reporting all of this, including the deaths. Thus, you can assume that the danger of a NerveGear being removed is now minimal. I hope you will relax and attempt to clear the game. But I want you to remember this clearly. There is no longer any method to revive someone within the game. If your HP drops to zero, your avatar will be forever lost. And simultaneously, the NerveGear will destroy your brain. There is only one means of escape. To complete the game. You are presently on the lowest floor of Aincrad, Floor 1. If you make your way through the dungeon and defeat the Floor Boss, you may advance to the next level. Defeat the final boss on Floor 100, and you will clear the game. Finally, I've added a present from me to your item storage. Please see for yourselves." Said Kayaba

_I quickly opened my inventory, and saw a mirror. Why a mirror of all things? I saw my in-game avatar. It was just a regular mirror. At that point, I saw every avatar surrounded in a teleportation light, until I was surrounded in it as well. When it faded away, I looked in the mirror again, and I looked like my real world self! My hair was still blond, but it was now styled the way I usually had it styled. But my height and body… oh yeah, when I first installed the NerveGear, I had to calibrate it._

"Right now, you're probably wondering 'Why? Why would Akihiko Kayaba, developer of Sword Art Online and the NerveGear, do all this? My goal has already been achieved. I created Sword Art Online for one reason… to create this world and intervene in it. And now, it is complete. This ends the tutorial for the Sword Art Online launch. Good luck, players." Said Kayaba

_After he finished talking, he disappeared, and the sky above returned to its normal color for sunset. Panic began to rise up inside of me as my face turned into a face of shock. Panic and outrage filled the square. I couldn't see the girl from earlier, and I feared the worst for my girlfriend. I had to leave the Town of Beginnings now, if I am to survive. Before I headed out, I stopped by a shop and bought a dark blue cloak for me to use. I ran out of town before I could change my mind. Up ahead, I saw a wolf charging at me. I pulled out my sword and used a sword skill to defeat the wolf in one blow. I will… I will survive! I cried out in the air as I thought about my girlfriend. Babe… I'll survive this world, for you. I'll fight… to end this world!_

_Third Person POV_

_In the Town of Beginnings, two cloaked figures, going by the names, Blade and Sakura, were looking at the wall of names of the players, both being on opposite ends of the wall. Each one was looking at a crossed out name. The players looked at two crossed out names. Sakura was holding back her tears while Blade had a single tear escape his eyes. Both didn't acknowledge the other's presence and walked out of the chapel. Out of the 10,000 players that entered SAO on opening day, 2,000 had died, and the first floor of Aincrad had yet to be cleared._

_**Done and Done! Believe me since sakuraphoenix took a while to finish this. Please, vote on a poll that's on my profile page for my upcoming Code: Dragon story while also checking out my stories. Instead of doing the usual ending... we're doing it in SAO tradition! Oh...please review and until next time...**_

_**Blade: I'm Blade**_

_**Sakura: And I'm Sakura**_

_**Both: Saying I heart you and logging off for now! Kan dao ni!**_

_**(1) Warframe is a real game so sakuraphoenix doesn't own it. Look it up on Google if you don't believe me or sakuraphoenix.**_


	2. Beater

Chapter 2: Beater

_**Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I'm back with a new chapter! I know, I'm late with the update. I'd explain, but it's one hell of a long story. To save us all some time, I'm hitting the disclaimer.**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Sword Art Online. I also do not own Blade. He belongs to my boyfriend Detroid434.**_

_**This chapter is gonna start in Blade's point of view. Enjoy!**_

_It's been a month since this death game began. It's December 2, 2022 now. Two thousand people have died since this game began. The other day, I found this cathedral in the Town of Beginnings, and saw a list of player names. I was hoping that my girlfriend had used her real name when she entered SAO for the first time, and when I checked, there was only one player with her name… and it was crossed out. My girlfriend… she's dead. There have been moments where I wanted to commit suicide, but I vowed that I would clear this world, for her sake, even if she's not alive anymore. We're still on the first floor, and no one's found the boss room yet. I was a beta tester for this game, and even I haven't found the room yet. Today, there's going to be a meeting, on how to defeat the first floor boss. I wore a dark blue cloak over my face, so no one could see who I am, even if I recognized someone from the real world. Of course I upgraded my gear, even if I was using my beta test data. I just hope I'm strong enough. I made my way to the meeting place, and sat alone. I really don't want to lose anyone else now._

"Okay! Let's get started, people! Thank you for coming today! My name is Diabel. I like to consider my 'job' as knight!" exclaimed Diabel

_That earned a good laugh from mostly everyone here._

"There's no job system in this game!" exclaimed one player

"A knight?" another player wondered

"Then, is this meeting a joke, too?" a third player wondered

"You should take this seriously!" a fourth player exclaimed

"Today, our party found the boss room at the top of the tower." Said Diabel

_That immediately got my attention._

"We need to defeat the boss, reach the second floor, and tell everyone waiting at the Town of Beginnings that it is possible to beat this game. Everyone present here shares this duty! Do you all agree?" asked Diabel

_Everyone silently agreed before clapping. Someone even whistled. This guy's definitely an inspiration to every player here. I'll give him that much credit._

"Okay, then let us begin our planning. First, divide into parties of six. An ordinary party has no chance against a floor boss. We'll need to form a raid group using multiple parties." Said Diabel

_I quickly looked around, and saw that everyone else had formed a party, all except for a person wearing a purple cloak, whom was sitting in my row. I quickly scooted over to the player._

"So, did you get left out too?" I asked

"Not exactly. I'm not very good with my words, so I decided to stay out of it." The player said

_I know that voice, but from where? What surprised me even more was not only was this player a rapier user, but was a girl as well. Maybe she's trying to be a speed player?_

"In that case, will you form a party with me? Don't take this the wrong way, but the guy said that we can't defeat the boss on our own. Even though we'll be a small party, it's better than playing solo." I said

"Alright." The girl said

_I began setting up the party, and when she accepted my invite, I noticed her name in the left corner of my stats. Sakura?_

_Sakura's P.O.V._

_This guy's name is Blade? This reminds me of…_

"Okay, have you formed your parties?" asked Diabel

_He was about to say something when a voice cried out:_

"Just a second!"

_A guy with a cactus-like hairstyle just jumped in out of nowhere! Who the hell is this guy?!_

"My name's Kibaou. I wanna say something before we take on the boss. Some of you here need to apologize to the two thousand who have died so far!" Kibaou exclaimed as he pointed one of his fingers into the crowd

"Kibaou, are you referring to the beta testers?" asked Diabel

"Of course I am! On the day this stupid game began, the beta guys ditched us beginners, and they all disappeared. They took all the good hunting spots and easy quests for themselves, so only they could get stronger. And then, they just ignored the rest of us. I'm sure someone here was in the beta! They should get on their knees and apologize, and give up all the items and money they hoarded! Otherwise, we can't trust them to protect us as party members, and they shouldn't trust us!" exclaimed Kibaou

_Even though Kibaou makes a good point, making all of the beta testers here give up their money and items, and force them to apologize for the deaths of the two thousand players that were killed? That's way on the harsh side. This guy is definitely a conservative. A conservative with an attitude issue. I was about to go down myself and slap him across the face when a guy asked:_

"May I speak?"

_I looked to see the guy, and he was huge! That was definitely his real height, no thanks to the NerveGear on our heads in the real world giving our avatars the data. I'm surprised I was able to keep my pink hair from my first avatar._

"My name is Agil. Kibaou, tell me if I have this right. You're saying because the beta testers didn't take care of them, many beginners died. That they should take responsibility, apologize, and provide compensation." Said Agil

"Y-yeah." Kibaou said nervously

_Agil then pulled out the guide book that everyone got on the opening day._

"You got this guide book, didn't you? It was provided for free at the item store." Said Agil

"Sure, I did. Why?" asked Kibaou

"It was compiled from information given by the beta testers." Said Agil

_Everyone was shocked about the information. Even me._

"Listen. Everyone had equal access to this information. And even still, many players died. I thought the topic of discussion here was what we could learn from their deaths, and how that can help us defeat the boss." Said Agil

_Seeing that Kibaou's point was now mute, he sat down somewhere in the meeting place. Good. I didn't want to hear another word from that guy's mouth again._

"Alright. Then, can we resume? The latest edition of that guide book was just issued, and it contains information on the boss. According to it, the boss' name is Illfang the Kobold Lord. He is guarded by assistants known as Ruin Kobold Sentinels. He is armed with an axe and a buckler. He has four health bars, and when the last one enters the red, he switches to a curved sword-type weapon called a Talwar. His attack pattern changes as well." Said Diabel

_So, this boss is kinda like the Dragon Rider boss from the game Cloudstone. After I got his HP to the half-way point, his attack pattern changed a bit, but it was relatively the same, but seeing how this is a VRMMORPG, I doubt this is going to be like Cloudstone. (1)_

"This concludes the briefing. Lastly, items will be automatically distributed. EXP goes to the party that defeats the monster. And whoever receives an item keeps it. Any objections?" asked Diabel

_None from me._

"Okay, we leave tomorrow, at ten in the morning." Said Diabel

_With no reason to stay, I left the meeting area. It was getting pretty late, but I didn't want to interact with anyone else for the time being. With just myself to my thoughts, I began eating some bread I bought earlier. I took small bites, seeing that I didn't want to eat it too fast._

"It's good, isn't it?" asked a familiar voice

_I turned to see Blade._

"Blade." I said

"Mind if I join you?" asked Blade

"I don't mind. It's better than eating alone, anyways." I said

"Thanks." Blade said as he sat next to me

_I moved a few inches away while Blade got his bread out from his inventory._

"Do you really think it's good?" I asked

"Yeah, but I try to switch up the taste a bit. Here, try using this." Blade said while pulling out another item from his inventory

_I used the item, and what looked like cream appeared on my bread after I spread it. I took a small bite into it, and I couldn't help but devour the rest of my bread like a wolf. It was so good!_

"It's the reward from a quest called 'The Heifer Strikes Back' from the village before this one. If you wanna do it, I can take you there." Said Blade

"Thanks, but I don't want to." I said

"Why?" asked Blade

"Don't take this the wrong way, but… when this game started, I was looking all over the place for my boyfriend in real life, but I was such a ditz, and I forgot to tell him my game name. Sakura isn't my real name. I'd tell you, but I don't want to tell anyone my real name until we're out of this death game. Just the other day, I went back to the Town of Beginnings to buy a new Iron Rapier, because I was on my last one, when I noticed this chapel, and I went in, and saw a list of player names. On the wall, there was my boyfriend's name, at least, I think it was. I don't know if he used his real name or not for his avatar, but… when I saw his name on that wall… it just… it made me feel like my heart was being torn in two." I said while trying to hold back my tears

"You really loved your boyfriend, didn't you?" asked Blade

"Yeah, I did, with all my heart. I even considered suicide for a while, and I still am." I said while still holding back my tears

"If he was alive, what would you say to him?" asked Blade

"I would say 'you're alive' and 'I'm so happy'. Why are you asking me this anyway?" I asked

"Because, to be honest, I did the same thing with my girlfriend on the first day." Said Blade

_It can't be, can it?_

"Blade, can I ask you a question? I know this is rude of me, but… can you… take off your hood, just for a second?" I asked

_Blade, reluctantly removed his hood, and I saw his face. I immediately had a shocked look on my face before I hugged him._

"What are you…" started Blade

"It's you. It's really you. You're alive!" I exclaimed while crying tears of joy

"It can't be… babe? Is that you?" asked Blade

"It's me. It's really me." I said while crying tears of joy as I felt my hood falling off

_The next day, Blade's P.O.V._

_We were all walking in the Forest Field towards the dungeon on this floor, while I ditched the hood on my cloak while holding Sakura's hand. I was so happy that she's alive, and judging by the smile on her face, she is too._

"I'm so happy you're alive babe." I said while smiling

"I am too sweetie. To be honest, I'm almost surprised that I am. I thought mom would've pulled off the NerveGear herself to get me out of SAO, since we don't have TV and all. I guess the news about the deaths and the NerveGear reached her in time." Said Sakura

"I guess so." I said

"I'd ask you about the, you know what and all, but with Mr. I-Hate-Beta-Testers around, I'll be patient." Said Sakura

"I agree with you there babe. I want to keep talking, but we do have to take care of the boss on this floor. We've been tasked with taking care of the boss monster's underlings, the Kobold Ruin Sentinels. I can use a Sword Skill to catch them off guard. Then, you switch out with me, so you can take them out." I said

"Uh, how do you switch?" asked Sakura

"You mean, you haven't been in a party before, babe?" I asked

"Until yesterday, no. Even so, I'm glad we formed a party together." Said Sakura

"I am too. Okay, this is how a party system works." I said

_I began explaining the basics to her while we made our way to the boss room._

"Listen up, everyone. I have only one thing to say. Let's win! Let's go!" Diabel exclaimed as he opened the doors to the boss room

_Everyone cautiously moved inside, looking for any signs of the boss. The boss was on the other end of the room, and the room lit up as the boss jumped to the center of the room. His stats were shown to us as three Ruin Kobold Sentinels appeared. The boss and his sentinels then charged at us._

"Commence attack!" exclaimed Diabel

_The tank squads were the first on the job to attack the boss and his underlings._

"Squad A, Squad C, switch! Squad B, block! Squad C, keep guarding and prepare to switch. Now! Switch, draw, and prepare to attack from the side. Squads D, E, F, and G, keep the sentinel's off us!" exclaimed Diabel

"Got it!" I exclaimed

_One of the Sentinel's was on the attack, to which I managed to block the attack._

"Switch!" I exclaimed

_Sakura quickly ran in front of me and drew her rapier. If I didn't know that she was a beginner, I would've mistaken her for a beta tester. The way she's using not only her rapier, but the Sword Skill Quadruple Pain, she must have a high level on her Rapier Mastery. I then heard the boss make a roar, and saw the final health bar in the red. It's going to switch its weapons now._

"Looks like that information was right…" started Kibaou

"Stand back! I'll go!" exclaimed Diabel

"Weren't we supposed to surround the boss when it got to the final health bar's red zone?" asked Sakura

"Yeah, unless…" I started

"Unless what? Is there some kind of final attack bonus on the boss?" asked Sakura

"Yeah, but he wouldn't have known that, unless he was a Beta Tester." I said

_The boss pulled out its weapon, and it wasn't a Talwar! It's a No-Dachi! This isn't like the beta at all!_

"Diabel! Stop!" I exclaimed

"Jump back as fast as you can!" Another player exclaimed

_But the Sword Skill had finished charging, and the system was forcing Diabel to move forward. The boss jumped around the pillars before it struck Diabel and sent him flying._

"Diabel!" Sakura, another player, and I exclaimed in unison

_I ran up to him the same time as a player with black hair did. His health bar was quickly going down. We needed to help him, now!_

"Why did you try to do it alone?" the player with black hair asked

_He tried to give Diabel a healing potion, but he refused it._

"You two were beta testers too, weren't you? You know what I was doing." Said Diabel

_I had a shocked look on my face. How did he know?_

"You were after the last attack bonus rare item." The player with black hair said

"You were a beta tester too?" I asked

_Diabel just nodded._

"Please, defeat… defeat the boss. For everyone…" Diabel said as his avatar turned into hundreds of crystalline virtual crystals

_The other player and I looked shocked before I felt my right hand being held. I turned to see Sakura, whom looked like she was holding back tears._

"Let's not let his death be in vain." Said Sakura

_I noticed before I charged for the boss._

"Let's try the same strategy for the boss." I said

"I was thinking the same thing." Said Sakura

_The boss looked our way, and was letting loose a Sword Skill. I used one to block its attack before it could hit._

"Switch!" I exclaimed

_The boss was about to attack her when she dodged at the last second, but her cloak was destroyed in the process. She then let loose five Linear attacks on the boss. The black-haired player from earlier came running at the boss and blocked another one of his attacks. Then his party member went in for the attack._

"Asuna!" the black-haired player exclaimed

_Asuna then dodged the boss' attack, revealing her long orange hair before she struck the boss. We kept attacking the boss, until we got hit by its sword, pushing us back, until I felt Sakura catching me. The boss was about to strike when Agil covered us from its potentially fatal blow. Then the rest of the assault team when after the boss._

"We'll hold him off until you two recover." Said Agil

"You're…" started the player

_Sakura quickly handed me a potion, which I immediately used, and went back at the boss._

"Not today!" I exclaimed

_I used a Sword Skill to send the boss to the ground before it could kill anyone else._

"Sakura! Now! We'll get it together!" I exclaimed

"Right!" exclaimed Sakura

"Asuna! You too! One last hit! We'll do it together!" exclaimed the player

"Roger!" exclaimed Asuna

_Sakura made the first attack before I did the second one, followed up by Asuna, and the black-haired player finished off the boss with a Sword Skill. There was a long pause of silence in the room._

"W-we did it!" one of the assault team members exclaimed

"But at what cost?" I muttered to myself

"We did it, yeah, but Diabel…" I started

"Why? Why did you two let Diabel die?" asked Kibaou

"Let him die?" asked the black-haired player

"Of course! You knew that technique that the boss used! If you'd told us that up front, he wouldn't have died!" exclaimed Kibaou

"They must be Beta Testers! That's how they knew all the boss' attack patterns! They knew, but they didn't tell us! Other Beta Testers are here too, right? Come out!" exclaimed a random player

"Hey! Cool your jets!" exclaimed Sakura

_The black-haired player then suddenly started to laugh. Did he think this was a joke?_

"A beta tester? I wish you wouldn't compare me to those newbies." Said the black-haired player

"W-what?!" exclaimed Kibaou

"Most of the thousand beta testers were beginners who didn't even know how to level up. You guys are better than they are. But I'm not like them. I made it higher than anyone else during the beta test. The reason I knew the boss' skills is because I fought monsters with katana skills on floors far above us. I'm going to assume that because he knew what the boss would do, he saw those katana skills as well, but regardless, I know a lot more. Way more than any information broker." Said the black-haired player

"W-what? That's worse than a beta tester! You're cheating! A cheater!" exclaimed Kibaou

"Yeah, a cheater!" exclaimed another player

"A beta tester and a cheater. A beater!" exclaimed a third player

"A beater… I like it. That's right. I am a beater. From now on, don't confuse me with the other testers." The player said before wearing a black coat

_I can't believe it. He's… I was about to run up to him to give him a piece of my mind, when Sakura stopped me, before she mouthed the words 'he was acting'. He… acted? But why? I have to find out why. As I ran for the door, Asuna beat me to him._

"Wait. You called my name when we were fighting." Said Asuna

"Sorry for using just your first name. Or did I mess up the pronunciation?" asked the player

"Where did you learn it?" asked Asuna

"You can see another HP gauge below yours, around here, right? Isn't there something written next to it?" asked the player

_Asuna looked to the area he specified._

"Ki-ri-to. Kirito? Is that your name?" asked Asuna

"Yeah." Said Kirito

"Oh, it's been there all this time!" exclaimed Asuna

_Cue the anime fall for me. She really is a beginner, isn't she?_

"You'll be really strong. So if someone you trust ever invites you to join a guild, don't turn them down. There's a big limit to what you can do as a solo player." Said Kirito

"Then, what about you?" asked Asuna

_He remained silent as he disbanded the party he formed with her._

"You can't just tell your party member to find a guild and leave them! You have to take them with you." I said

_He only remained silent as he continued onto the next floor. I then felt Sakura's hand holding mine._

"Yes babe?" I asked

"I know you're probably thinking that I think that you're probably a beater, but I don't. I could never think of you like that. I'm not going anywhere without you from now on. You're my boyfriend. I love you, and I never abandon the people I love." Said Sakura

"Thanks babe. Let's go." I said

_I felt Sakura holding my hand once again, causing me to blush before I did the same. I know that it's going to be a while before this world is cleared, but with my girlfriend here, I'll live with it._

_**Done once again! My girlfriend took a while to finish this chapter, believe me but with how she had a long story, I'm doing her closure this time. Please, I have a poll up on my fanfiction page that I would love for you, the readers of Sakuraphoenix, to vote on for my Code: Dragon story. It would be really helpfully to me. Check out my page as well because I'm sure you'll find something to read of mine. Anyway, please review and until next time, I'm Detroid434, saying for my girlfriend, I Heart You and...**_

_**Blade: I'm Blade**_

_**Sakura: Sakura here**_

_**Both: Logging out for now! Kan dao ni!**_

_**(1) Cloudstone is a Facebook game so Sakuraphoenix doesn't own it either**_


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